PM’s Principal Secretary Endorses Use of Hybrid Seeds in Rice, Pulses, Oilseeds

Endorsing the use of Hybrid seeds to increase Crop Production and Reduce Import Dependence, Principal Secretary to the prime minister pk mishra said here on Wednesday (January 8, 2025) Research has to produce products that have higher productivity than open-plynated seed varieties. Inaugurating the three-day national symposium on Hybrid Technology for ENhanced Crop Productivity, Dr. Mishra Gave the examples of rice, pulses and oilseeds and said they need high priority in hybrid research. “We need to brings hybrid pigeon pea to market and scale it up. This will help in bridging availability gap in pulses. Priority for the Country, “He said.

The Senior Bureaucrat Said Hybrids Have to Be Affordable to SmallHolder Farmers. “If research can make farmer save hybrid seeds from one season to another season with losing heterosis, as they do with open-fitted crops, it wise be Great Scientific Commentation to increase Farmers Incomes, “Dr. Mishra sugged.

He added that there was an urgent need for adopting hybrid technologies to ensure food and nutritional security for the country’s growing population. “Hybrid technology has to play a role beyond just increasing yields. It should lead to equitable, inclusive and sustainable growth of ear of ear Increasing Farmers Income.

He said the percentage of workforce dependent on Agriculture, While Declining Marginally, Still Stands as High as 37%. “This leads to issue equity and including the vision of 2050 Shows Agriculture Contributing 7% of GDP, The Workforce Contribution will be 27%. 27%. Million, will go up to 168 million.

The meeting is organized by the Trust for Advancement of Agricultural Sciences (Taas) (ICRISAT), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (Cimmyt), International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Indian Society of Plant Gentic Resources (ISPGR). The federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahayco), Rasi Seeds, and Bayer Crop Science Limited Are Supporting The Event.